1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fire protection devices, and related deployment methods. In particular, the present invention relates to a fire resistant protective cover used for enveloping a building structure from an external source of fire.
2. Background of the Invention
Every year, a great number of people lose their valuable properties due to uncontrolled external fires, such as forest fires and wind-driven fires. Since these external fires are spreading very rapidly, it becomes extremely difficult for firefighters to control or contain them. Furthermore, because of such rapid movements of these fires, homeowners in the midst of these fires are not given enough time to relocate their valuable belongings to a safe place or to take sufficient measures to protect their homes. Therefore, they have to evacuate out of the area in a hurry, abandoning their valuable properties behind them.
In order to protect building structures, including homes, from these uncontrolled external fires, there have been numerous attempts to develop fire protection devices which can isolate the building structures from these external fires. In particular, various systems and methods for enclosing the building structures from surrounding external fires by placing fire resistant materials over building structures have been proposed and utilized.
However, the prior art devices and methods generally involve impractical, complicated deployment mechanisms and/or require external power sources for deployment which are often unavailable.
Therefore, it is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a fire protection device with a simple and reliable deployment system that does not rely on any external power source. This is achieved by utilizing a rolled fire protective cover disposed on a inclined top surface of a building structure which can be readily deployed via gravity without requiring any other external power source for deployment.
To attain the advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embedded and broadly described herein, one aspect of the invention provides a fire protection device for isolating a building structure from an external fire. The device includes a rolled fire-resistant protective cover having dimensions large enough to cover the building structure. The protective cover is stored in a storage bag, and the storage bag is disposed on an inclined top surface of the building structure. The device also includes means for releasing the rolled protective cover from the storage bag so that, upon release from the storage bag, the protective cover can roll down the inclined top surface by gravity.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of enveloping a building structure from an external fire is provided. The building structure preferably has at least one inclined top surface. The method includes providing a rolled fire-resistant protective cover having dimensions large enough to cover the building structure, and disposing the rolled protective cover inside a storage bag. The method also includes placing the storage bag on the inclined top surface, and releasing the rolled protective cover out of the storage bag, so that the rolled protective cover can roll down the top surface by gravity.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.